Regal Rags
This store looks more like a smart boutique than a shop offering recycled women’s clothes, shoes, handbags, and jewelry, with designer labels. Three visits reveal a brand-new Vera Wang cocktail dress ($275), several new Lilly Pulitzer sundresses ($55 each), and a like-new Escada evening jacket ($150). While the place is packed with pricey labels—Burberry, Kate Spade, Ferragamo, and Tiffany & Co.—there are plenty of Talbots, Dana Buchman, and Chico’s, too. “Between 30 to 40 percent of the merchandise still has the original tags dangling from the sleeves,” says owner Dawn Henderson, who gets her gently used merchandise from well-heeled customers with vast wardrobes and new goods from a not-to-be-named boutique. “We are fussy. We want Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Dior, the kind of designers you can’t easily find in Annapolis.” This is the sort of place you hesitate sharing with a girlfriend, certainly any girlfriend who wears the same size you do.

Best Bargain: On a recent visit, we spotted a very gently used St. John black knit jacket with gold embroidered collar and jeweled buttons for $300. Sounds rich, but it would cost you $1,200 in a department store. 626B Admiral Drive, Annapolis, 410-224-3434, http://regalragsannapolis.com/ —M.T.

Consign & Design
It’s hard to decide what to look at first when you enter Consign & Design—the snazzy new and consigned furniture in a small room off to the left or the sophisticated women’s consigned clothes and accessories in two rooms to the right. The shop looks expensive but the prices say otherwise. That $275 tag on a gorgeous antique Chinese chair is a real deal. Two palm tree lamps with beveled glass shades are sure to be snapped up at $125 each. “The woman who brought them here paid $500 apiece,” says shop owner Wilma Howett. Clothes look like new and are displayed as if they were in a fine designer salon—there’s no crowding. “A lot of women are glad to have a place to take their better clothes; they don’t want to give them to Goodwill,” says Howett.
Best Bargain: We loved that no-name white-beaded evening dress, a clear deal for $30. 2 Annapolis St., Annapolis, 443-458-5941—M.T.

Return to Oz
This consignment shop is not for the claustrophobic. The first floor is jam-packed with kids’ clothes, shoes, and boots, many with Gap, Baby Gap, Gymboree, Patagonia, and Lands’ End labels. Prices for kids’ clothes range from $3 to around $50 for a darling, fur-trimmed girls dress-up dress. Upstairs, two small rooms are loaded with women’s clothes (up to size 16), maternity, men’s clothes, and housewares. “We get some high-end women’s boutique stuff, some European brands but mostly Abercrombie & Fitch, Juicy Couture, Ann Taylor, Gap, and Citizens of Humanity jeans,” says co-owner Chloe Griffis, who transformed this 100-year-old house into a consignment shop with her business partner, Virginia Shea, about 1½ years ago. “Sometimes we get Pottery Barn furniture and linens or fabulously expensive shoes—Ferragamo or Michael Kors—that sell for $50 or $75, a quarter of the original price.”

Best Bargain: On our last visit, we spotted a darling, new white bassinet propped on the porch. For $40 it’s a steal. 2011 West St., Annapolis, 410-266-9390—M.T.

Affordable Furniture
Whenever there’s an estate sale on the Eastern Shore, you’ll find Lord Scott hunting for cool furnishings to bring back to his shop. Affordable Furniture consists of six rooms stocked with an eclectic blend of contemporary, antique, and downright funky furniture. “I get furniture from million-dollar houses in Talbot County,” says Scott. “Lawyers who handle the sales call me and tell me what’s happening and when.” The funkiest, most expensive item Affordable Furniture’s ever sold? A $5,500, six-foot-tall Turkish bath studded with angels from a local estate.

Best Bargain: Recent deals include a reproduction Victorian sofa ($175), a walnut chest of drawers ($300), and a 1950s RCA radio cabinet ($50). 123 S. Washington St., Easton, Md. 410-822-1475—K.B. 

New to You
The distinguished gent clad in a starched white shirt, elegant tie, and meticulously coiffed hair looks like he should be shopping in Nordstrom’s instead of cruising the aisles of New to You, but Bill Parker, a criminal defense attorney from Upper Marlboro, is a regular. “I became hooked years ago. My best find was a $400 Lladro figurine for $125. And my cheapest bargain was a dozen new Titleist golf balls still in the original box for $3.”

This place is chock-full of housewares, linens, women’s clothes, handbags, even ski goggles and a few Timex watches. Labels such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Talbots, and Ann Taylor are tucked between scores of lesser-known brands. Owner Madeleine Powers, who runs the store with her daughter, Susan Hummer, keeps a request list. “One customer is a party coordinator. She needs serving pieces,” says Hummer. “If a woman wants a fur coat, we call her when one comes in.” Shopping tip: There’s a lot to look at. Allow plenty of time to roam.

Best Bargain: There’s lots of jewelry but one item stands out—a David Yurman blue topaz and diamond ring ($800). It would probably retail for twice as much.
1916 Forest Drive, Annapolis,
410-263-2211—M.T.

Little Rascals
Those who love the thrill of the hunt will love Little Rascals. Housed in a cottage-style shop on Route 50, the store is full of racks crammed with modern women’s and children’s used clothes. Recent finds include a pair of women’s Italian leather gloves ($5), toddler-size, squeaky-clean Tretorn sneakers ($5), and a baby’s hand-woven Hannah Anderson sweater ($16.50). But owner Kari Kullman says that her biggest market is rapidly becoming teenagers. “More and more teenagers are becoming consigners,” says Kullman, “trading in their Abercrombie & Fitch stuff for something else instead of going to the mall to get something new. At first, a lot of those kids pooh-poohed the idea of buying something used, but once they found out that they can buy things like Lucky Jeans for $25 instead of $125 here, they began to change their minds.”

Best Bargains: We scored several excellent condition designer duds, including a multi-colored, woven Bottega Veneta purse ($85), Gucci shades ($75), and Coach loafers ($70). 7924 Ocean Gateway, Easton, Md. 410-822-6806—K.B.

Second Look
It’s hard to decide what’s better at Second Look—the bargains on homewares and clothing for kids, women, and men or the friendly customer service. Co-owners Marcel Ross and Barbara Segraves work the shop like a couple of Energizer bunnies, constantly helping customers or tidying up. This place isn’t fancy. The long narrow shop is basic but packed with buys. A rack of once pricey greeting cards (each in a plastic sleeve) is tucked in a corner ($1 each). Bargain hunting revealed a Banana Republic black cashmere sweater ($14) and Tahari beige silk suit ($35.) Many kids’ outfits still have the original tags attached. Just a few doors down from Giant, this shop is a must-stop before hitting the supermarket aisles.

Best Bargain: Two brand-new adorably dressed, stuffed bears would make any kid (and his parents) happy for $5 each.
942 Bay Ridge Road, Annapolis, 410-263-3111—M.T.

The Clothes Box
Who says going for your mammogram can’t be fun? A short stroll down from the radiology department in Anne Arundel Medical Center’s Sajak Building lies the well-organized Clothes Box and its great deals for everyone in the family, plus housewares and linens. While you’ll spot an occasional St. John or Prada label, most of the well-known brands include Chico’s, Gap, Ellen Tracy, and Dana Buchman. Smart shoppers stop by before or after visiting the doctor when the Clothes Box has a weekly sale on Wednesdays—and what a sale it is! Thanks to a team of terrific hospital volunteers led by manager Debbie Ganz, there’s always someone nearby to help.

Best Bargain: We spotted a like-new Liz Claiborne running suit for $15 last time we detoured after an appointment with the doc. Sajak Pavilion, Anne Arundel Medical Center, 2002 Medical Parkway, Ste. 160, Annapolis, 443-481-5070—M.T.

The Bazaar
This is one place where hand-me-downs are hip. The consignment shop, operated by Easton Memorial Hospital’s Auxiliary, contains a combination of retro, vintage, and altogether classic finds likely owned by some of Talbot County’s most fashionable frauleins. The shop is organized like a small 1950s department store, complete with window displays and tidy rows of clothing, shoes, and even a home goods section for linens, lamps, and knickknacks. “[Recently,] a lady came in just before closing to look for a gown for a party that night,” says saleswoman Diane Bisanar. “She found a great gown that fit like a glove. She came back in the next day to say that she was the belle of the ball and that she told everyone where she got it.”

Best Bargain: For $9, we snatched up a 100-percent pure camelhair swing coat with three-quarter length sleeves made by Thalhimers, a now-defunct Richmond-based department store chain. Throw on a wide black belt with it, and you’ve got an updated classic. 121 Federal St., Easton, Md., 410-822-2031—K.B.

Echoes & Accents
Just inside the front door at Echoes & Accents, three handsome twisted iron bar stools with upholstered seats are reduced to $75 each. Nearby, four large heavy wooden, Spanish-style chairs are priced at $100, and a stunning Bernhardt painted country French china cabinet is marked $650. “This is recycling at its best,” says Leah Deane, who owns the store with her partner and sister, Barbara Rasin Price.

It’s just about impossible to separate new furniture from consigned goods. Even if you’re not in the market for furniture, stop by to steal a decorating idea or two or to check out the jewelry cases. Furniture is organized in color-coordinated vignettes. Accessories range from two fabulous Chinese porcelain dogs ($277 for the pair) to a handsomely carved duck ($39). “Sixty percent of the merchandise is consigned, 40 percent is new,” says Deane as she proudly shows off a Baccarat crystal vase for $165. “So there are a few chips on top. Are you really going to see them when a dozen roses are in it?”

Best Bargain: A glass-topped dining table with handsome iron base, plus six iron dining chairs with upholstered beige striped seats reduced to $325—for the set!
224 Chinquapin Round Road, Annapolis, 410-280-8800, http://echoesandaccents.com/ —M.T

Great Estates
About 50 percent of the mostly contemporary merchandise offered at Great Estates is new and much of it comes from area model homes. The remaining furniture and accessories are consigned goods that look like they’ve barely been touched. Several big name furniture makers are represented—Bernhardt, Hooker, Bassett. Lots of interesting (and inexpensive) accessories are dotted about—a large white ceramic “O” priced at $21 would jazz up any ho-hum space. The place is packed with bargains. A painted five-drawer Stanley dresser for $159 is a great buy for a kid’s room. That’s cheap (or cheaper) than what you’d find at a big box store. The only downside is that the place isn’t very large so selection is limited.

Best Bargain: A massive Bassett triple dresser and matching hutch in chocolate cherry for $616. 8258 Veterans Hwy., Millersville, 410-987-2490, http://www.greatestatesfurniture.com/ —M.T.